Hair drier



Jan. 8, 1957 Q HUDSON ET AL HAIR DRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1955 55/ I77 razfons E /a Hudson Opa/ F Hut/5077, HM flfiimgq.

Jan. 8, 1957 o. F. HUDSON ET AL 2,776,497

HAIR DRIER Filed June 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [/1 ve/zibm: f/a Hudson 0,00/ F Hudson, 99 i zzazam fl/forqgg,

United States Patent HAIR DRIER Opal F. Hudson and Ela Hudson, Jacksonville, Fla.

Application June20, 1955, Serial No. 516,616

6 Claims. (Cl. 34-90) This invention lies in the field of hair driers of the type having a hood placed over the users head and furnishing drying air by means of a fan and a heating coil in the top of the hood. p

This improvement in such driers comprises the provision of baffle plates and adjusting means for these plates.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved shield or deflector arrangement for the open end of a hair drier.

A more particular object is to provide a closure for the open end of a hair drying hood which permits ready and accurate adjustment to the head of a person using the drier, is conducive to comfort of the person, provides improved protection from hot air to the face and ears of the person, permits rapid and easy removal of the head from the hood, and provides improved drying efficiency from the circulating hot air.

The novel features which arebelieved to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however,'both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hood embodying this invention, in place on the head of a user;

. Fig. 2 is a perspective from beneath, showing this invention complete, in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; showing this invention in top plan view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 44 of Fig. 3 showing means opening the baffle plates;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective looking forward and down, showing the front portion of this invention, with mounting and adjusting means;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 66 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section takenalong line 7-7 of Fig. 3, with parts in elevation.

This invention comprises an improved combination and arrangement of a baffle plate assembly 1, mounted at the bottom edge of a conventional type of hair drying hood 2, herein shown as carried by a standard 3. The purpose of the assembly is to close the bottom of the hood around the users head, except for an air discharge area, thus causing the heated drying air to circulate upon the hair, and at the same time to protect the face and ears from the hot blast. Air is circulated by a fan, and heated by a resistance coil, both in the top of the heater, but not shown because well known in the art.

The baffle plate assembly 1, transverse to the long axis of the drier 2, consists in detail of a front plate 5 fixed to the bottom edge of the drier, curved side plates or plateiike arms 6 and '7 arcuate in plan view, elements for hold ing, positioning and adjusting the side plates, and improved padding and gasketing means, all further described below. a

As best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, each side arm of the baffie means is pivotally attached to front plate 5, and is thus pivotally connected through plate 5 to the lower body portion 47 of the hood, the attachment being by meansof a pivot element 8 aflixed to the upper surface of the forward end of the side arm, the pivot 8 being movable in an armate slot 9 near the respective end of the front plate 5, to permit adjustment of the front ends of the side arms or iates to the users head. Adjustment is made by links 12, each rotatably connected at its outer end to the top of its respective pivot 8 and held down thereon by a nut 13, and rotatably connected at its inner end by a rivet 14 to the'extended base 15 of an internally threaded sleeve 16 which travels along a screw shaft 17, the latter being journalled between supports 18 and 19 fixed respectively upon the rim of the hood member 47 and near the inner edge of the front plate 5, and turned by a knob 20 outside the hood. As'best seen in Fig. l, the side plates 6 and 7 fit against but below the edge of the hood. Turning the knob 2b in one direction will pull the front ends of the plates 6 and 7 forward and closer together, while turning oppositely will push them farther back and wider apart,

A tendency to inward swinging movement of the side plates or arms 6 and 7 on their pivots 8 is given by springs 21, each coiledabout its pivot with a horizontal end 22 secured in a notch 23 under the pivot base, and with a vertical end 24 held through a hole 25 in its link 12. The rear end of each side plate is swung in and out, as shown by the solid and dotted line positions of Figs. 3 and 4 by a handle 30 depending from an outward lug 31 fastened near the rear end of the plate. The handle 30 provides a comfortably cool and enlarged hand engageable member or portion for convenience in swinging the side plates or baiiies. A stiff spring wire of inverted elongated U-shape is fastened by its outer leg 32 to the lug and by its inner leg 33 to the rear portion of the side plate. The long horizontal intermediate part 34 of the wire holds the side plate in contact with the edge of the hood, and the outer leg 32 limits the inward swinging movement of the side plate. The intermediate part 34 passes through a slot 40 above and parallel to the hood edge and through a correspondingly slotted piece riveted outside the hood holding a gasket 42 of felt or other friction material, slitted to allow the wire to be moved by hand although holding it in set position by friction and preventing escape of air. A bend or detent 4-3 locks the wire at the outer limit of movement when the hood is to be supplied or removed, which can thus be done without changing the front adjustment. A pad 45 of heat-insulating material is attached on the underside of each side plate to protect the users ears in case of accidental contact.

To better circulate drying air to the hair and at the same time preserve the users comfort by protecting her face and ears, each side plate has an inner edge 58 which in elevational aspect is curved down and then up, from just behind the temples to just in front of the ears, forming a sort of semi-cone 5% so that hair in front of the ears will be in the drying area. The side plates or arms thus have upwardly extending curved projections 57, lined on the lower surface by pads 45, which extend up and over the ear. This arrangement is best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and as seen in Fig. 3, the shape in plan aspect of the side arms or plates is such as to cause the inner edges 58 to conform to the shape of the head. Discharge of hot air from the hood is directed downward but away from the shoulders, as shown by the arrow in Fig. l, by downward curvature of the rear end of each side plate at 51. To throw the air current against the back hair the rear edge of the hood is carried down as at 52, somewhat lower than at the sides, and inward, thus restricting the open space between the back of the users head, indicated by the dot and dash line 59 in Fig. 3, and the hood edge. Escape of hot air from the hood is also permitted in the outward direction under the edge 56 and through the cones 50, as indicated generally by the arrow 60 in Fig. 3. The air escaping outwardly in the general direction of cones Si is directed above the shoulders and away from any part of the body. It will be seen, accordingly, that the baffie or closure means comprising front plate 5 and side plates 6 and 7, when in proper operative position, contact the head along but immediately below the hair line, across the forehead, downwardly and rearwardly across the temples and around the lower end of sideburns, up over the ears and along the rearward sides of the head to about the nape of the neck.

Padding along the inner edges of the plates 5, 6 and 7 serves the double purpose of making the edges comfortable to the user and preventing escape of hot air. On the inner edges 58 the padding 53 is preferably of foam rubber or sponge rubber. The padding along the outer edges as at 55 and around the hood bottom as at 56, more correctly called gasketing, is of suitably resilient solid rubber to prevent escape of air between the plates and the hood.

The plate 5 has an inner edge 46 which serves to position the head of the user within the hood. The plate 5 is, as seen in the drawings, rigidly attached to a generally circular, hollow lower body or drum member 47 which forms the lower end portion of the hood. The drum member 47 is preferably removably attached by sheet metal screws 48 to the upper body member 2, and guide or positioning lugs 49 are provided permanently attached to the drum member 47 and arranged to extend upwardly a short distance into upper body 2 of the hood.

To apply the hood the side plates 6 and 7 are first swung out and locked by the bends 43 in the dotted line position of Figs. 3 and 4, and the hood put at proper height on the head, with the padded edge 46 of the front plate against the forehead. The operator then uses the handles 30 to swing the side plates into comfortable contact with the sides of the head, and makes final adjustment by the knob 2t It will be understood that the forward ends of battle arms 6 and 7 are brought toward each other by rotation of knob 26 in a direction to move sleeve 16 forwardly, adjusting the arms thereby for a narrower forehead, while rotation of knob 20 to move sleeve 16 rearwardly, away from knob 20, increases the separation of the forward ends of arms 6 and 7 for heads with greater distance between the temples. To remove the head from the hood, the plates are swung to farthest out position.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Fatent of the United States is:

1. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, the combination of a hollow generally tubular hood member with an Open end, a U-shaped assembly of baffie plates disposed transversely upon the open end of said hood member, said assembly comprising a front plate disposed to engage the forehead and side plates disposed to engage the sides of the head, said front and side plates partly overlapping, pivots connecting the respective for ward ends of said side plates to said front plate, means operable from outside the hood member for moving said pivots in translation, said means comprising a shaft having a hand-engageable end outside of said hood and said shaft extending into said hood and said means further comprising linkage means inside said hood coupling said shaft to said pivots, and a movable connection between the rear portion of each side plate and said hood member til simultaneously holding said side plate against the edge of the hood and in set angular position about its pivot.

2. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, the combination comprising a generally tubular hood member with an open end, a U-shaped assembly of bafiie plates disposed transversely upon the open end of said hood member, said assembly comprising a front plate disposed to engage the forehead and side plates disposed to engage the sides of the head, the ends of said front plate and the forward ends of the respective side plates mutually overlapping, pivots connecting said overlapping ends, a movable connection between the rear portion of each side plate and said hood member simultaneously holding said side plate against the edge of the hood and in set angular position about its pivot, each said side plate being curved downwardly on its inner edge approximately midlength to engage the cheek in front of the car, then curved upwardly further back to engage above the ear, and finally curved downwardly, whereby said assembly protects face, cheeks and cars from hot air and deflects discharging air away from the shoulders, and a restriction at the back of the hood member comprising a hood edge portion inclined inwardly and lower than the front and side portions of the edge, the edge of said lower portion being curved down from adjacent the point where the final down curve of the side plate begins.

3. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, the combination comprising a generally tubular hood member with an open end, a U-shaped assembly of bafflc plates disposed transversely upon the open end of said hood member, said assembly comprising a front plate disposed to engage the forehead and side plates disposed to engage the sides of the head, the ends of said front plate and the forward ends of the respective side plates mutually overlapping, pivots connecting said overlapping ends, a movable connection between the rear portion of each side plate and said hood member simultaneously holding said side plate against the edge of the hood and in set angular position about its pivot, each said side plate being curved downwardly on its inner edge approximately midlength to engage the check in front of the car, then curved upwardly further back to engage above the ear, and finally curved downwardly, whereby said assembly protects face, cheeks and cars from hot air and deflects discharging air away from the shoulders, means operable from outside the hood for moving said pivots in translation relatively to said front plate, and other means operable from outside the hood for angularly setting each side plate about its respective pivot.

4. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, a generally tubular hood member with an open end, baflle means upon said open end comprising a plurality of plates adapted to contact the head of the user at their inner edges, said plates including a fixed front plate adapted to contact the forehead and movable side plates adapted to contact the sides of the head, thereby closing said hood member upon the head except at the back, pivot means connecting the forward end of each side plate with an end of the front plate and also holding each side plate up against the bottom edge of the hood, said front plate comprising two arcuate slots in respective end portions of the front plate through which said pivots of the respective side plates pass and are movable sideways, means for adjusting said pivot means comprising a threaded shaft mounted above said front plate, a knob fast to said shaft outside the hood member, a sleeve threaded to said shaft, and respective links connecting said sleeve to the corresponding pivot, resilient means connected near the rear end of each side plate for additionally holding it up against the bottom edge of the hood and for also holding it in angular adjusted position, and gasketing elements on the edges of said side plates and said hood member adapted for mutual contact to prevent escape of air.

5. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, a generally tubular hood member with an open end, baffie means upon said open end comprising a plurality of plates adapted to contact the head of the user at their inner edges, said plates including a fixed front plate adapted to contact the forehead and movable side plates adapted to contact the sides of the head, thereby closing said hood member upon the head except at the back, pivot means connecting the forward end of each side plate with an end of the front plate and also holding each side plate up against the bottom edge of the hood, means for adjusting said pivot means, resilient means connected near the rear end of each side plate for additionally holding it up against the bottom edge of the hood and for also holding it in angular adjusted position, said resilient means comprising an inverted elongated U-shaped stiff wire connected at its inner end to the rear end of its respective side plate, a lug directed outwardly on the outer edge of said side plate near the rear end, a handle on said lug, the outer end of said wire being connected to said lug, and a frictional slotted element fixed in an opening in said hood member, said slot being parallel to the hood edge and the intermediate portion of said wire passing through said slot, and gasketing elements on the edges of said side plates and said hood member adapted for mutual contact to prevent escape of air.

6. In a hair drier in which hot drying air is circulated, a generally tubular hood member with an open end, baflle means upon said open end comprising a plurality of plates adapted to contact the head of the user at their inner edges, said plates including a fixed front plate adapted to contact the forehead and movable side plates adapted to contact the sides of the head, thereby closing said hood member upon the head except at the back, pivot means connecting the forward end of each side plate with an end of the front plate and also holding each side plate up against the bottom edge of the hood, means for adjusting said pivot means, resilient means connected near the rear end of each side plate for additionally holding it up against the bottom edge of the hood and for also holding it in angular adjusted position, said resilient means comprising an inverted elongated U-shaped stiff wire connected at its inner end to the rear end of its respective side plate, a lug directed outwardly on the outer edge of said side plate near the rear end, a handle on said lug, the outer end of said wire being connected to said lug, and a frictional slotted element fixed in an opening in said hood member, said slot being parallel to the hood edge and the intermediate portion of said wire passing through said slot, said wire further comprising a bend near the inner end of its intermediate portion adapted to engage outside of said slot to hold said side plate in extreme outer position, and gasketing elements on the edges of said side plates and said hood member adapted for mutual contact to prevent escape of air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

